Where Do Elephants Live

Known for their long trunk and large ears, elephants are the largest land dwelling mammals on earth. Intelligent and sociable animals, elephants from deep family bonds and live in female-led herds. Where do elephants live? Elephants live exclusively Africa and Asia, in groups of eight to 100 individuals.

African Elephants
African elephants include savanna and forest elephants. Forest elephants are found in the dense rain forests of western and central Africa, from Zaire to Mauritania. Savanna elephants live in drier woodlands and savannas south of the Sahara Desert. Herds of savanna elephants are commonly found in Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania and South Africa.

Asian Elephants
Asian elephants live in tropical and subtropical forests, both moist and dry, in southern and southeastern Asia. They are also found in cultivated forests and scrub lands, and can live in disturbed forests that provide space to move and forage without clashing with humans. Asian elephants exist in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Southern China.

Conflict with humans and loss of habitat due to climate change are serious threats to elephant habitats. Due to poaching and human expansion, both African and Asian elephant numbers have fallen dramatically. In the future, hotter, drier habitats will likely lead to poor foraging conditions and threatened calf survival. African elephants are considered threatened, and Asian elephants are considered endangered.